another one i had been dying to try just never got around to opening. split between two snifters and enjoyed while feet where kicked up on the dock.

Rich with a good bit of haze and floating sediments throughout. Very nice color here. There was ample carbonation evident from the very beginning, with streams of bubbles rippling up to the surface throughout the glass. A nice even level of foam, perhaps two inches in height. Nice settle down to a respectable layer across the top which lasted throughout the session and gave off copious side glass lace.

The aroma was very nice. Rich notes of fruit, pears, apples, some tart cherries, but lots of caramel malt smell too. Nice touches of grain and bready tones as well. The flavor was very nice. Rich notes of caramel malts wrapping around and mingling with sour fruits and touches of grain. Some nice fresh grass like hops playing around in here as well as the little bits of fruit just danced around in the back. Interesting feel, well carbonated and a cross between medium and light bodied. I was seriously impressed by the drinkability as it did not come across with the deep funk, letting you noticeably take bigger sips of it even on a hot day.

Pours a straw-yellow color with a good white head. A bit of lacing. The is some light grain and straw with a good amount of funk and a slight dose of sourness. There is really great notes of straw and barnyard. The taste is the same, as there is just a light malt character and a really nose dose of hay and blanket. Feel is really fantastic between the funk and some slight sourness. Drinks really well and is a fantastic offering from JP.

This beer reminds me of the orange juice commercial where they strip back the carton and there is pulpy flesh underneath and then a spout is opened and the juice pours ripe from the box. Well, put a keg tap into a bag of Brachs' spicy gum drops with some fine festering yeast and spring water and here's what you have: a tart beer gumdrop. A peppery confection that froths with an infected head. I mean this in a good way. Like when a rich pumpkin pie and whipped cream begin to swirl and meld together from a thorough forking. As with all the Jolly Pumpkin beers they leave you thinking "designer beer" but also, "one more bottle to figure out if I like it." Yes I do.

Smell: The oak and leathery funk jump right out, with undertones of lemon, lime, apple, pear and juicyfruit gum

Taste: Lemony/limey and tart from the start, with the oak and leathery funk character dominating; the beer is very dry and grows increasingly tart by mid-palate, with just a hint of the green apple and juicyfruit flavors peaking through; the fruit is more pronounced after the swallow, with a little sweetness, but the finish is very dry

Mouthfeel: Light to medium body with moderate to high carbonation; mouth puckering

Drinkability: Not my favorite sour, but a very interesting beer that is well worth seeking out

Minimally hazy golden pumpkin (oro de calabaza) containing a static storm of fine yeast that add a great deal of character. The crown of foam looks great as well. It's orange-tinted ivory in color, is heavily creamy and is impressively sticky. Gorgeous, shredded veils of lace adorn most of the available glass, putting the finishing touches on a wonderful look.

If I didn't know better, I'd swear I was smelling an authentic BSPA. It must the yeast, although I've smelled plenty of domestic, Belgian-style beer that uses a true Belgian yeast strain that didn't smell this good. The aroma consists of brandy-macerated golden fruits (apricots, ripe peaches) sprinkled with a fine dusting of ground clove. Very well done.

Prior to this bottle, I've reviewed 93 different styles of beer. This is my first biere de garde so I'm at something of a loss as to whether or not it's style accurate. What I am sure of is that it's some kinda delicious! Like the nose, the flavor reminds me most of a BSPA, or even an especially fruity tripel.

None of the three Jolly Pumpkin beers that I drank prior to this one prepared me for such an incredibly complex flavor profile. Puree of orchard fruit flecked with inviting, exotic spices lulls me into a contented complacency, while warming fruit brandy mixed with golden rum provides a breathtaking blow, like a velvet-gloved fist to the solar plexus. What in the world did these guys do to this beer that they failed to do in all the others?

I'll give most of the credit to the yeast strain; it's obviously an ass-kicker of the highest order. Even though Oro has the highest ABV of all the JP offerings, it's the least alcoholic in terms of flavor. That may be because it's been aging the longest, but I don't think so. I think it's simply a superior brew. It melds and mellows even more spectacularly with warming. The beer is becoming barely cool, I'm the one who's actually warming.

The mouthfeel is medium-full with a wonderfully lush silkiness. Or is that a silky lushness? Once the initially peppy carbonation settled down (by the second glassful), the mouthfeel came into its own and really began to impress. Any lighter and the flavor wouldn't be able to get comfortable on the palate. Any heavier and the sweet stickiness would edge over into syrupy, which would not suit the beer at all.

My three previous Jolly Pumpkin beers were disappointments, at least relative to the hype. What I expected from them is what I finally got from Oro de Calabaza. This is an outstanding ale and instantly joins the handful of great Belgian-style offerings that I've had the pleasure to drink, no matter the country of origin. A big thank you to deejaydan for the bottle.

Pours a deep hazy burnt orange with a big creamy-like head that settles with not much lace behid nice aromas of tropical fruit,pineapple mainly and spice coriander is big along with a touch of cloves.Different intermingling flavors going on very ripe pineapple and cloves dominate with a faint grassiness but the overipe pineapple dominates here.Wow a big flavorful beer that takes no prisoners,killer beer that I will take back with me to NC for sure.

Appearance - This is a real looker. The head is explosive, so watch out. It settles into huge, massive clumps of shaving cream. The liquid is pure gold with a geyser of carbonation underneath.

Smell - The light sourness first caught my nose followed by a beautiful hop profile that is delicate yet substantial. The floral spicing is remarkable and is like walking in on your grandmother making a graceful European-style dinner. The white pepper is so intense you almost want to sneeze.

Taste - The tartness from the nose is strong at the taste as well, as are the bold floral hops that slow down the drinker. The spices are perfumy and seem to grow as the ale warms. The grain in the background is some of the finest that I've ever tasted.

Mouthfeel - This is medium-bodied, intensely carbonated, and loaded with a big bitter bite.

Drinkability - This is a slow-drinking ale that is great to share with a friend.

Once again, I'm surprised by how long it has taken me to finally try this brew, oft considered Jolly Pumpkin's ol' reliable. Bottled May 2013, so this sucker is super-fresh in saison years. It pours a mucky shade of gold, translucent enough to let some light through, and is topped off with a soapy white head that foams up nice and leaves respectable, wet and spotty lacing on the glass.

As is the case with many/most Jolly Pumpkin beers, the aroma is critter-iffic, filled with wonderful funk and plenty of balanced tartness. Dry, funky apple skins, tart pears, white pepper spice, floral and herbal hops, mountains of oak-barrels, cheesecloth, clove, and damp hay. Such a wonderful array of things that are meshed so elegantly well. With warmth, it seems there are a bit more spices that come out and open up, though I can not say for sure what they are.

The first sip is really something to behold. I'm not exactly familiar with the Biere de Garde style, and I've only had a few at the time of drinking this (and I believe one of the few others is another JP beer). It seems like a super funky, slightly tart-ified take on a Belgian strong pale ale with some added spices for good measure. On paper, it sounds like a jumbled mess, but my palate is screaming otherwise.

Plenty of peppery and hoppy spices outline each and every sip, more vivaciously compounded with ripe pear skins, tart apples, torrid oak, rotten and sweet bananas, and a clumpy, thick, funk-filled yeast finish. After drinking so many Jolly Pumpkin brews, you become accustomed to "their" funk. They have a very signature-ish funk that encompasses many of their brews, very akin to some cheesy, musty, wet cork and damp hay.

Medium bodied, just shy of creamy, actually, with lots of tingling carbonation to sting the upper lip. Again, like many brews from JP, the finish is nearly moisture-less, leaving your palate drier than a desert in the sun. All-in-all, Oro de Calabaza is in the upper echelon of beers crafted by Jolly Pumpkin. It's an incredibly tasty and unique brew, and even better - it's a year round offering.

Oro de Calanaza pours golden and crisp until you come to a hidden treasure at the bottom. There is a great deal of sediment lurking it the depths that changes the bright finish into a wheaty masterpiece. A think creamy head is seen throughout drinking but very prevalent at first. A first taste reveals slight banana/citrus/clove notes with hearty wheat presence. The back end provides a slightly oaky finish that mingles with the rest of the pallet but doesn't take over. It cold be easy to overpower this style of beer with too much cask and not enough good old beer flavor. Luckily the blend is perfect, the flavors meld together complimenting not fighting for superiority. The flavors are more subdued and reminiscent of themselves vs a strong separate character. Overall the flavors all blend and compliment each other to provide a complex yet highly drinkable beer with a nice ABU punch to boot!!

I wonder, is there is any way to make this beer and it not gush? Every single time it explodes out of the bottle more anxiously than a bat finally finding the exit from hell into a bright new day. Even when i'm ready for it I still lose a drop or two to the snake of foam that rushes up the very second upon opening. I'm just sayin'.

Hazy golden with a rocky white head.

Funky aroma, with an added vanilla and floral hop note. The alcohol is more noticeable than I remember. Also has a wine note, like a barrel. But something is a little off about it, i'm not sure what.

Zesty lemongrass on the tongue with a light sourness and a taste of candi sugar. Show the alcohol a little, which is a suprise.

This batch is ok, an approachable example, but i've enjoyed it more in the past.

There is a big and rocky white head that fades slowly into the murky mango colored beer known as Oro de Calabaza. Splashes of lace slide down the sides. The glass offers a perfumey bouqet of light berry, spicy phenols, apricot or peach, and an occasional whiff of lemon zest.

This is a strikingly tart and acidic brew with soft swirls of peachricot quickly eclipsed by warming alcohol and acidity. Just a kiss of hop bitter and maybe vanilla with a hint of light wood. You know like licking a chopstick. The alcohol calms down as the beer warms and smooths out the brew to reveal yeasty spices and esters that combine with the other elements to create a distorted creamy pineapple character. Mouthfeel is light, creamy, and stingy all at once.

This beer is very interesting but also kinda wildin'. I am into it enough to try the others despite the high price, but doubt I'll revisit this one.

T-M- The flavor is very familier to other Jolly beers into the tart aspect and i love it.
Wild yeast flavors of spice and funk, sweet sugary pears and light tartness on the finish. Mouthfeel is dry and smooth with little to sway you from drinking.

D- Drinkable as hell but at the price I'll try others before revisiting.

Pours from the attractively labeled 750ml bottle with the treasure chest full of beer a bright hazy golden peach color. Active carbonation rises up to create a light bubbly white foam head that lingers on well after the intial pour. Reminds me a warm, bright summer day! Aromas of light, fresh fruity bread & grains, lemony citrus with hints of grape kool-aid. Underlying touches of white pepper and cloves mingle with green herbal hops that impart some citrus aromas as well. Mellow and dignified.

First sip brings a bubbly sweet lemony grain that segues into a refined spicy middle ground. Subdued aspects of cloves and cracked pepper seem to become more apparent as the brew begins to warm. Herbal, green hop bitterness follows on the way down. Patches of dry woodiness weave in and out with a crisp bready yeast flavor and a touch of alcohol. A tasty warm weather treat.

Mouthfeel is champagne-like with a vigorous carbonation that explodes on the tongue. Light, airy and refreshing. I could see sitting out by the pool or beach on a beautiful day and enjoying the Oro the entire time. Cheers to another yummy Jolly Pumpkin brew.

Huge overflowing foam when I popped the cap, quite annoying actually. Pours a clear, yellow color with a huge head initially, but it reduced quickly to a quarter inch layer. Really grips the glass well leaving a nice lace.

Aroma hints at the tartness to come, green apples and white grapes predominately. Some light spice intermingles with some yeastiness. Light to me overall.

Taste is initially tart with some sourness. Some obvious lightly toasted malt notes come in, even with the overall light pallate of this beer. The green apple and white grapes are evident again, sour pears as well. I don't find the alcohol that noticable overall. Good overall flavor, nice tartness but isn't overdone. A touch of bitterness rounds it out.

Thinnish mouthfeel which is somewhat expected with a spontaneously fermented beer. Flavor clings to the cheeks for a bit but doesn't hang around too much.

Good unique flavor with this one. Light flavor and sits fairly light on the stomach. Pretty quaffable. Worth a shot.